Ignorance Is Bliss
by becksue
Summary: Hermione's best friends are boys, so, of course, they don't know everything about her. She can't tell them her biggest secret. But who is she really in love with? Draco or Zacharias?


Ignorance is Bliss

The stupid git kept coming to the library in search of her. All she wanted was some time to herself so she could think. There wasn't a place in the entire ruddy castle where a girl could go to be by herself. In the dorm there were Lavender and Parvati, both nice and all, but annoying as all hell. In the common room there were all the rest of the Gryffindors, including Ron and Harry. If she went to the bathroom, there was always another girl coming in and asking her what was wrong, and whos to say a bathroom would stop Ron and Harry. Afterall they'd been in there a number of times before. Even the library, which she always thought of as her own personal solitary, was failing her.  
"Are you busy, Hermione?"  
"Yes, Ron. I'm studying."  
"Could you help me quickly?"  
"I doubt it, but what's your problem?"  
"This planet here, see . . . . " he droned on about unnamed planets with named moons and what does this and that mean in april. He was sweet, but sometimes, Ron just got on her nerves. Hermione explained very carefully everything he wanted to know.  
"You know what, Ron," she said when she finished. "I've been sitting here too long. I think I'll take a walk. No, don't get up, I'll be alright on my own. You just sit here and work all that out. Oh, and make sure my bag gets back to the common room, ok? Thanks!"  
  
It was such a relief to be alone again. She loved Ron, don't get me wrong. He was a good friend, but she really needed to be alone. There were too many things going on. She couldn't untangle them from each other. Ron, while sweet and had deffinetly grown up a lot over the past year, was really dim. And Harry was far too obsessed with Voldemort to act as a sounding board for her to unravel her own preoccupations, and he expected her to be his sounding board all the time. She didn't feel like telling Ginny all her woes at the moment. She needed someone impartial, someone who wouldn't care and would be indifferent.  
  
"Careful there Granger. I thought you were smart."  
"What's that supposed to mean, Smith?"  
"Smart people look where they're going."  
"Well, excuse a smart person for being normal once in a while."  
"No need to get all snippy with me, Granger. I'm not really all that offended."  
"And yet you're willing to offend me?"  
"I offend everyone and I'm friends with everyone. It's part of my charm."  
He was still holding onto her arm from when he stopped her from walking into him. She looked down at it, more curious than annoyed. He seemed to think otherwise and let go.  
"Sorry I grabbed you, your highness."  
"No, Smith, wait. I'm sorry. I've got a lot on my mind. I wasn't annoyed by that."  
"Well?"  
"Well, I was wondering, are you busy?"

Smith

He looked at her skeptically. Granger wasn't the most popular kid in the year, but she had friends; Potter, the Weaslys, Luna Lovegood in a weird way, even Neville Longbottom, although Zacharias doubted she confided in him. What did she want with him?  
  
"Not exactly. Why? What do you want, Granger?"  
"I need someone to talk to. I've just got so much on my mind right now that it all gets confusing, and I need someone to sort them out to."  
" 'Someone to sort them out to'?"  
"You know. Someone to act as a sounding board for me. Please Zacharias, can we just go somewhere to talk about this. I don't like standing here in the hall like this."  
  
He looked at the girl. She did look overly stressed out. Her robe was slightly askew, undone at the top, revealing her red tee-shirt. He still didn't understand why she was appealing to him and not one of her friends. Then again if they were his friends, the only one he would confide in would be the Weasly girl.  
  
"Ok," he said taking her by the upper arm and leading her down the hall. "Where should we go?"  
"I don't care, an empty room somewhere."  
  
He led her down the stairs to a hall devoid of any teachers' offices and poked his head into one of the doors. The room was empty. He impelled her into the room and shut the door behind them. The room lit up magically upon their entry. He deposited Hermione on a desk, and then sat facing her on the desk in front of her.  
  
"What's up, Granger?"  
"I don't know, I just . . . Promise me this, Smith, this doesn't get out. You don't tell anybody anything I say here, or that we're talking."  
"We can't be friends?"  
"We could be friends, but I'd rather it didn't have the weight of meeting in secret tagged onto it."  
"I understand. Can I offer you some sustenance? You look haggard, like you could use some sugar." He reached into his robes and pulled out a package and handed it to her. Cautiously she took it and looked at the front.  
"Pepperidge Farms strawberry Verona distinctive cookies" She raised an eyebrow in his direction.  
"I've got a cousin in the States who loves these. He sends them to me all the time. They're good, try one."  
He took the package from her and pulled out a cookie to hand to her. She studied it in her palm. It was just a small circular biscuit with what looked like jam in the middle. Zacharias popped one in his mouth.  
"Go on," he said swallowing. She took a bite and chewed slowly.  
"Aren't Americans interesting? This is pretty good."  
"I've got to hand it to your muggles; they make some pretty good snack food. I bet you grew up eating this kind of stuff."  
"I'll take that bet."  
"Really! Why not?"  
"My parents are dentists."  
"What?"  
"Dentists. You know what a 'doctor' is?"  
"Yes."  
"A dentist is like a doctor for your teeth and gums."  
"Oh."  
"You don't get it."  
"Not exactly, no. But generally, yes. I don't really get doctors either."  
"That's alright. You'll probably never need one anyway."  
"Your teeth look good now. I remember they were kind of funny when we were younger. Is that your parents doing?"  
"You don't know what happened?" Zacharias shook his head. "One of the many times Harry and Malfoy were fighting, they went to hex each other, but the hexes ricocheted off each other. Harry's hit Crabbe, or was it Goyle, I never can remember." Zacharias smiled. "And Malfoy's hit me."  
"What did it do?"  
"It made my teeth grow at an alarming rate. So I rushed off to Madame Pomfrey and she shrank them for me. Told me to tell her to stop when they got back to normal. I just let her carry on a bit."  
She flashed a mischievous smile. It was a nice smile.  
"How'd your parents react?"  
"Well, they weren't too pleased. They're not too keen on magic and teeth. Wanted me to get braces to straighten them out and all that. I was grounded for a week and had to work in their office."  
"Do you normally do that?"  
"No. Well, sometimes. I spent my childhood there, so I know what to do."  
"Like what?"  
"You don't really want to know."  
"Yes, I do." he protested.  
"It's boring," she argued.  
"To you maybe, but I know nothing about dentistry, or what goes on in the office, so explain please."  
She looked at him with a mixture of alarm and skepticism on her face. Very guardedly, she started in on what her duties in the office would be.  
  
Zacharias watched her as she spoke. He encouraged her to talk about any little thing, that's what she wanted initially, wasn't it, someone to listen. Plus, he really did find this fascinating. He knew nothing of a muggle's life. Hermione loosened up while she spoke and allowed her thoughts to flow freely. Zacharias watched her.  
She talked with her hands, he noticed. Not like an Italian or a Greek, but every now and then she'd wave them in front of her to emphasize a point or push her hair back.  
Most people concentrated on the bushiness of her hair when they referred to it. But he remembered the Yule Ball. Sure she was on the arm of Victor Krum (who apparently was 'truly a sweetheart') but other than that she'd looked magnificent. One got to see the beauty in her hair; the dark, rich brown color, the dark thick mass. For once it had been pulled away from her face.  
Her face, something else that wasn't appreciated. She had a high, regal forehead, beautifully shaped dark brown eyebrows, blue-grey eyes with black lashes framing the almond shape. Her mouth was small and her lips were a faded pink. Her creamy white skin was a beautiful contrast to her dark hair.  
Zacharias studied her face while she talked. Her facial expressions were intriguing and comical. She would convey annoyance one moment, then laughter and joy would replace it and fade as quickly as it came. There was no figuring this girl out. She was a puzzle wrapped in an enigma.  
  
"Oh!" she cried suddenly pulling the boy out of his reverie.  
"Wha . . . "  
"Is that really the time?" Zacharias peered over at her watch. The hands pointed to five minutes to nine.  
"I guess so." he replied with a shrug.  
"We really should be going."  
"I guess so," he said again.  
"Students aren't allowed to roam the halls after nine, you know that."  
"I do. And so do you. You, in particular, probably shouldn't be caught."  
"Why?" she asked defensively.  
"You're a prefect. Most likely destined for Head Girl, too."  
"I don't know that..."  
"Right. Come on."  
  
He helped her off the desk and led her back out of the room. She wasn't in a daze as she had been on the way there, but he kept his hand on her elbow anyway. She didn't seem to notice, or she didn't mind.  
"Thank you for talking with me," she said in a quiet voice.  
"You're welcome. Did we talk about anything that's been concerning you?"  
"Well, no, actually, we didn't. But, oddly, just talking seems to have helped. For a little while anyway."  
"Well, then, I'm glad. Now what?"  
" 'Now what?' What?"  
"What happens when I see you at breakfast in the morning? Do I say 'hello' or ignore you? Are we friends or not?"  
"I . . . I guess . . . we can say 'hello' to each other when we meet. There's nothing wrong with that ever. And I guess we're friends, especially if we're going to keep talking like this."  
"Are we?"  
"I don't know." Hermione stopped walking and rounded on Zacharias. "If I need someone to talk to again, I'm just frustrated and need someone to listen, will you be there for me?"  
She had her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed slightly and there was a raised eyebrow thrown in the mix; making, in Zacharias's mind anyway, a very charming picture before him. He looked into the blue-grey eyes and very seriously answered her.  
"Yes, Hermione. If you need someone, I'll be there."  
"Thank you," she replied relaxing. "Then I guess we're friends. I'll see you tomorrow."  
"Good night."  
"Good night, Zacharias."  
  
Zacharias watched her go upstairs towards the Gryffindor tower, before descending to the Hufflepuff dormitory. She'd said his first name. That was twice in one night, and he'd said hers. What's more, they were to be friends.  
"Yes," thought Zacharias. They were going to be good friends.

Potter and Weasly

Harry and Ron noticed a change in Hermione. It wasn't like her to stay out past curfew and then not tell them where she'd been. That first night with Zacharias, Ron told Harry of Hermione's strange behavior in the library. How she practically bolted after helping him. He had dutifully, as any good friend would do, brought her bag back to the common room when he finally left the library, and the boys had planned to wait up for her. When she walked in at ten past nine and plopped down on the couch next to Harry, they gave each other odd looks. Of course she picked up on it, she is smart, remember.  
  
"What?"  
"What?" asked Ron.  
"The two of you just gave each other looks. What?"  
"Were have you been?" asked Harry.  
"Out. Walking. I had to clear my head."  
"For so long? You're never out past nine."  
"Yeah, I got caught up and lost track of time."  
  
Again the boys exchanged looks. Hermione ignored them. She didn't owe them anything. She didn't have to explain herself to them. They were her best friends, sure, but they were boys also. They didn't have to know everything about her.  
  
A couple of weeks later Ron and Harry were sitting at dinner. Hermione had just left to meet Zacharias. The boys were still in the dark about their relationship.  
"What's with Hermione these days?" asked Ron.  
"I don't know. She's been staying out late and leaving meals early."  
"And what's with Zacharias Smith sitting with us during Herbology?" Harry shook his head in wonder.  
"I don't know what that little prat is up to, but when I find out . . ." Ron muttered furiously.  
"Hermione's been talking to him a lot during Herbology. And he says 'hi' to her in the halls." said Harry thoughtfully.  
"I thought she hated him."  
"I don't know."  
"You're not thinking . . . " Ron looked horrified.  
"No! I'm not thinking anything." Ron calmed down and continued eating his chicken with a strange impenetrable silence around him.  
  
Truth is Harry was thinking what Ron didn't want him to. But that was ludicrous. Hermione wouldn't . . . not without telling them. Okay, she might not tell them, but for sure she would have told Ginny and he'd already interrogated Ginny without Ron and she knew nothing. No, Harry decided, she was probably just being nice to him. That was Hermione's way. She really had to hate someone before she would be openly mean to them. Yes, he thought, Hermione was simply being nice to Smith. Nothing else.

Malfoy

Draco Malfoy liked to consider himself misunderstood. Only problem was, he wasn't misunderstood. He was just a nasty guy. But he was getting tired of just being plain old nasty. He wanted to shock people. He wanted to do something so completely out of character that it made people look twice at him before judging him too quickly. Everyone heard the name Malfoy and thought "blasted Death-Eater". Just because his dad hadn't thought for himself and allowed himself to be ruled by this psycho mudblood, didn't mean he was the same way. Sure he was a pureblood snob, but he wanted to do something that would change the way he thought about himself, something his father would disapprove of.  
He didn't want to do the first thing he thought of, but he knew it was what he had to do. It would kill his parents and change him forever. In a good way or a bad way, was yet to be determined, as well as subjective.  
But who should he choose. Pansy and Millicent were both definitely out. She had to be from another house, everyone in Slytherin was pureblood. Hannah Abbott, Lavender Brown and the Patils were all out as well. None of them would do.  
No! He thought to himself. Anyone but her. First off, there is no way she'd ever go for it and second, no, not her.  
"She's the only acceptable one for what I am trying to do." Draco took a good long look at himself in the mirror. His chiseled features, slate eyes and slicked back white blonde hair stared back at him in the dim light of the Slytherin bathroom. The green tiles mixed with the torch light created and eerie glow to his skin making him look a little like a merperson with green glowing blonde hair. He sighed, gritted his teeth and set off for the Great Hall and some dinner to steady himself for the dreaded task ahead.

Granger

Hermione was enjoying her budding friendship with Zacharias. It was making her more confident, more independent and self-aware, she thought. He told her things and they discussed ideas and philosophies. She already knew not to take everything she read at face value, to question authority, and to think for herself, but now, he as teaching her how to use that to boost her self-confidence and give her power.  
She liked having this secret from Harry and Ron. It made her feel independent to have something they didn't. To have a friend they didn't. It made her feel independent to have friends and experiences that they didn't have. Hermione was a good girl, a straight edge kid quickly feeling the need to rebel against something. Rebelling against her parents was out of the question. Her parents understood so very little about her life to begin with, it didn't seem fair to them to draw even farther away than she was already destine to go. She felt no need to rebel against the school, McGonagall or Dumbledore; she liked and respected them too much to do that. Harry and Ron were the only people left. She loved them both; they were her two best friends in the entire world. But she was always with them. They had almost all the same classes and they ate and lived together. Some separation, it seemed, was necessary.  
Nothing major, though. Something innocent and out of character. Some new experience, something liberating, something bold and brazen, but what? What could she do? She didn't want something public. She wanted some secret. She loved hanging out with Zacharias, but that was tame, and she didn't want their relationship to change. What she wanted was something different, a new secret. But what?

Malfoy and Granger

Malfoy knew he had to do it. If he really wanted to have this experience, he had to do it. Most likely she would slap him across the face and it would be over, but at least it would force him to change his plans. He really didn't want to do this. It would change him, forever it would change him. Plus he could use her. He could use her to get to Potter, if he really wanted to. This arrangement could be advantageous.

There she was, sitting in the back of the library. There were a couple of Ravenclaw third years at the tables towards the front of the library, but Granger was secluded in the back; probably her own doing. She did seem to be sitting alone a lot lately.

She didn't notice him approaching until he was standing across from her. She looked up at him and inwardly groaned. The last thing she needed was Malfoy trying to make her life miserable.

"May I?" he asked indicating the bench across from her.

"Go away? Yes, leave, please."

"Temper, temper, Granger," he said sitting down. 'What was he doing?' he thought, 'She's going to kick me in the crotch and leave me to twitch on the floor.'

"If you're here to insult me and rip me apart, can I leave?"

"I'm not here to insult you. I have a proposition."

"Oh, boy, an offer from Draco Malfoy, I'm so excited!"

"You can drop the sarcasm, Granger."

"Tell me, how's your dad?"

"And you can leave _him_ out of this as well."

"Touchy subject?"

"It would be for you too if you had to read letters from your mum about how unfair this all is, and how your dad shouldn't be punished for what he did. He didn't do anything wrong, he's a good man, he should be honored, blah, blah, blah."

Was he serious? Hermione looked at him skeptically. This was so unlike Malfoy. Last year he was threatening Harry for putting his father in Jail, and now here he was disgusted with him and implying that he deserved to be in prison.

"What are you getting at?"

"I want to do something that will piss my parents off. I want to do something to make them mad."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to have a relationship with a mudblood. It doesn't have to be known, it could even be a secret. But I want to be able to tell them that I had a relationship with a mudblood and watch their anger boil over."

"You want to have a relationship with a muggle-born witch, just so you can say 'screw you' to your parents?" He was insane, he had to be. No one in his or her right mind would concoct such a plan.

"And I'm just so annoyed with everything. Some sort of a change is in order, I think. I want to change things. Make things exciting, spice up my life. Come on, Granger, what do you say?"

"Wait, you want to have a secret relationship with _me_ to piss off your parents and spice up _your_ life? You're out of your mind!"

"It would be especially harsh if it were you. My father hates you."

"Yeah, and so do you."

"That's what makes it so exciting."

"You're twisted."

"Thank you."

"I'm leaving."

Hermione got up and stalked out of the library. Malfoy watched her go. That wasn't a 'no'. There was still hope. He'd try again. He'd continue until he hot an outright 'no'. This was going to be fun.

Granger

_Who the hell does Draco Malfoy think he is! What kind of twisted lunatic actually **wants** to hook up with someone he detests solely to piss of his parents??? What kind of bottom feeding moron would think that I would ever be that skanky, sleazy or easy??? Arg! I've never been so **angry** in my entire . . . _

"Hermione!"

"**What!**"

"Hey," said Zacharias backing off considerably.

"Oh, Zacharias, I'm so sorry. I'm a bit put off right now. I didn't mean to . . . I mean . . . I'm not mad at you. I just . . . I'm . . . "

"Hey, hey," said Zacharias softly pulling Hermione towards him. "Shh, calm down, now." His, surprisingly strong arms wrapped around her protectively, comforting.

Hermione sighed and let him pull her close. She could smell soap and a hint of chocolate. She knew he'd been eating more of his cousin's cookies.

Letting herself go, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and started to cry. Zacharias stroked her hair and held her close as her anger and shock flooded out through her tears.

Soon her sobbing subsided and her breathing returned to normal. He held her a little longer, rocking her before pulling back a little to see her face.

"Now, that feels better doesn't it?" he asked drying her face with his sleeve.

"Uh-huh." She nodded, unable to find her words. She smiled up at him appreciatively. His face really was quite nice when he smiled back at her. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners and his lips parted ever so slightly revealing his straight white teeth. How had she not noticed this before? They'd been spending more than the usually amount of time together lately but she'd hadn't noticed how . . . good looking he was. His blonde hair was an attractive shade of yellow and his eyes were a beautiful muted blue. His smile was intriguing and captivating.

He stroked her cheek with one hand while the other arm was still wrapped around her waist. What was this new sensation? Only a few minutes earlier Hermione had been storming, raging mad at Malfoy and now, after two minuets in Zacharias Smith's arms she was completely content to stay there forever. She'd completely forgotten about Draco Malfoy and his sick and twisted little games. All she wanted to do was . . .

Smith

Her lips brushed over his. Then, as if it had never happened, her head nestled just under his chin.

"Hermione . . ."

"Yes?"

_**RIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

"Crap. I have Herbology now."

Hermione raised her chin to look him in the eyes. Her hazel eyes were wide, expectant and beautiful.

"I'll try to meet you after dinner . . . in the library?"

"I'll be there."

Zacharias pulled away from her reluctantly and started to turn away. Before she could completely slip her hand out of his he pulled her back to him.

This one was more than a simple brush over the lips. He felt her mouth respond just as strong and confident. Neither wanted the moment to end.

But their ears heard the squeak of sneakers on Filch's highly polished floors and the voices of hundreds of their classmates as they came closer.

Zacharias pulled away.

"The library."

"I'll try to be there. I have a meeting with Snape, but I'll try."

"Don't worry about it. But if you _can_ get out . . . I'll be there."

She whispered the last part as students turned the corner. Zacharias smiled one last time and marched down the hall before anyone could notice.

As he turned the corner he slowed down his pace.

A gentle smile settled on Zacharias' face for the remainder of the day.


End file.
